Q&A: Kenyan ambassador Jean N. Kamau

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Kenya’s ambassador Jean N. Kamau

Published: 30 May 2014 03:55 PM

Updated: 30 May 2014 03:55 PM

There’s a delicate balance at play as Kenya and other African countries work to draw tourism and create jobs in response to growing religious radicalization and infiltration by militant groups linked to al-Qaeda. Closer economic and military cooperation with the United States is crucial, says Kenyan Ambassador Jean N. Kamau, who spoke last week to the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Points asked her to explain what’s at stake.

Kenya has dispatched its military to neighboring Somalia to combat al-Shabab militants. Now al-Shabab is attacking inside Kenya. What are the repercussions?

Our position is that the threat of terrorism is a global issue. What is happening in Kenya is very similar to what is happening in Somalia and, recently, in Djibouti. We’re all faced with the same risk and the same terror organization. Because of that risk and insecurity, we feel very strongly that the travel advisories that have been renewed by the U.S. government actually work to the detriment of the global effort to combat terrorism. It plays right into what the terrorists want. They want to create such a level of insecurity and fear that nobody wants to come to your country. So that’s where we disagree [with Washington].

Kenya’s military intervention in Somalia was supposed to have been short-lived. Is support waning for this extended mission?

Kenyan forces are part of the African Union forces, and the mandate through the AU is endorsed at the U.N. level. It’s not about Kenyan forces pulling out. In fact, the numbers required to bring peace and security to Somalia require a deeper deployment of troops. There’s such a dire need to secure the country so that the Somali government itself can settle and take over the full administration of the country. So the issue of pulling Kenyan forces out is not an option for us at all.

Are some in Kenya questioning whether it’s worth the sacrifice?

We’ve lost troops. They come home in body bags. That, in itself, really creates debate: Was this an effort that was worth the lives? Should we really be in Somalia? Because the Somalian factor is part of our history. There’s always been an element of instability in Kenya because of the instability in Somalia. This is the first time we’ve had troops on the ground. So that debate is alive in Kenya.

The threat from al-Shabab, such as last September’s attack on the Westgate shopping mall, seems to justify the U.S. concerns regarding the travel warnings.

That’s exactly what the terrorists want. They want to create the fear and succeed in creating such a sense of insecurity that people don’t want to travel in the country. And that [U.S. travel advisory] plays right into their hands. … Securing the country is not just about keeping everybody safe but also ensuring that everybody is able to go to work and reap the benefits of their investments. You can argue that it’s justified, but is that what we need at this time?

Considering the spread of Islamist radicalism, it sometimes seems that parts of Africa are falling apart.

No, they’re not falling apart. In any society at any moment, you’re faced with a specific challenge. For now, if you look at Benin, Niger, the Sahel region, the rise of Boko Haram as a significant threat in Nigeria, all the way to Central African Republic, coming to South Sudan, coming to al-Shabab in the [region surrounding Somalia] — this has germinated, and now it’s a significant security threat that we are all dealing with. It’s manifesting itself in different ways, the radicalization of young people. All of these groups have pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda. …

This is a global problem. The key is in how we are responding to these threats. It has demanded closer cooperation between countries. The global nature of the threat means that it is not confined just to Africa.

Are there more subtle, nonmilitary ways to address radicalism?

There’s a very good initiative coming out of the West Africa region which is quite inspiring, that targets the imams at the point of contact with faith. Moderate imams are under siege from very radical imams. How can you strengthen the role of the leaders within the religious community? That’s something they’re talking about in Morocco and some of the North African countries. We need to focus on that.

Across the board … we find that the entry point is in the mosques. They take over the leadership. Or they build a very radical mosque. Countries are looking at working in the mosques, having specific interventions around young people who feel excluded, marginalized and left out. They have nothing to look forward to. High levels of unemployment. You have to rethink your whole development strategy.

Aside from withdrawing the travel advisory, what do you want from Washington?

At this point, when we’re facing different challenges in the country, especially related to peace and security because of the instability in Somalia, our relationship is even stronger in terms of working collectively in partnership around that particular problem. We want it to grow stronger. In terms of trade and investment, we really want the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act to be reauthorized by Congress, because it’s contributed significantly to the development of the textile and apparel industry in Africa and given us access into the U.S. market for goods and products.

We hope that Congress, this being an election year, will reauthorize before they go through the elections, because if we don’t get it reauthorized by October, it means you have to wait for a new Congress to come on board and all the issues in reauthorizing. That’s a huge concern for us.

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